Construction company or tradesmen to assign themselves?

Hello everyone,

actually, we had planned to build with a construction company that takes care of the complete handling and also the awarding of the trades (so an all-round carefree package - almost turnkey). We have been looking for a company for some time but have not yet found the company we trust. Yesterday, a friend of ours came up with the idea to only have the house planned and then award all the trades ourselves. It would have the advantage that you are not tied to a company "in case" it goes bankrupt, but of course, it is also associated with an incredible amount of extra work.

We have NO experience. However, my father (retired) would have a lot of time and also the desire to take care of it. But as I said, we are laypeople. However, we have an acquaintance (tile setter) who knows all the companies in the region and also their quality.

Would this possibly make sense, or is it too risky? How could something like this then proceed?

I would be glad if someone could help or has already had their own experiences with it.

Regards Kati

Why not? If you have someone who has the time and experience to organize it, and whom you won't be upset with if the work is significantly delayed, then go ahead. What I mean to say is: the guaranteed construction time with a general contractor/ developer should not be underestimated. Many materials may have long delivery times. This material would therefore need to be ordered while the shell construction is still in progress. And personally, I would not trust myself to remember that in time, with so many things to consider.

So if you can bear the double burden of rent/loan for several months, or if you assess the risk as manageable, you can give it a try.

My parents did it that way 10 years ago. The construction period was pure stress, which almost ruined their relationship. On top of that, the construction took 3 months longer than planned and many rooms were still without flooring, ceiling, etc. Based on my own painful experience, I would rather advise against it.

A construction company has, among other things, completely different prices for trades than if you commission them. In addition to the schedule that you then have in your hands. And you have the stress on top of that.

Hello,

...Yesterday a friend of ours had the idea to just have the house planned and then award all the trades themselves.

The idea certainly makes sense, however, this easily leads into the area of free planning. The truth usually lies somewhere in the "middle."
It is much more advantageous to have only the "basic framework" created by the general contractor and to outsource only the "sensitive" areas (building services => heating, ventilation, domestic hot water). In this way, you can benefit from the price guarantee of a general contractor project over a large area but avoid being overcharged in the "critical" areas.
Regional general contractors/subcontractors are well suited for this, whereas the large nationwide ones are more interested in selling their standard packages.

Best regards

Hello!

Thanks for the tips. Yes, maybe a "middle ground" is the best alternative. But what would that look like? Do you get everything offered completely and then remove trades afterwards, or do you agree in advance which trades you want to contract yourself and have them left out of the offer right away?

Regards
Kati

Hello Kati,

Thanks for the tips. Yes, maybe a "middle ground" is the best alternative. But what would that look like?

It reads very simply here ... but it is not. You should only buy a closed shell from the (still to be found) general contractor (GC) and do the rest yourself with trades if you know what you are doing, have people you can count on 100%, who know what they are responsible for and act accordingly. By the way: not every building contractor/general contractor fits the picture described here; there are certainly reputable companies!

Do you get everything offered completely and remove trades afterwards, or do you agree beforehand which trades you want to assign yourself and have them taken out from the offer right away?

Hardly any GC/building contractor will disclose all trades to you, because that is not their business. Moreover, you should not just randomly pick trades and do/assign them yourself; often in the worst case, there are long discussions about who has to take responsibility for warranty and who does not.

Most reputable providers offer stages of completion, starting from the closed shell and ending with the turnkey house. The approach that fits the budget — in my opinion also the right way when you decide on the closed shell — means that you should, among other things, involve a technical building services (TGA) planner. I strongly recommend, in addition — as indispensable — involving an external site management for this approach. You need someone who is up to date, constantly continuing education, and based on that can coordinate the individual trades — someone you can hold liable if necessary. The mentioned retiree will hardly be able to manage that, even if he once learned a craft profession.

"C&C" is right when addressing the required time frame, "Perlenmann" when it comes to pricing. I recently spoke on the phone with one of my clients who — similar to what you apparently have in mind — only removed the classic finishing trades like tiles, sanitary fixtures, or interior doors from the contract because he was sure he could assign these cost-effectively himself. According to him, the interior finishing turned out beautifully, but he admitted unsolicited that he had imagined it to be cheaper. Only higher-quality tiles came out of it; everything else was priced as in our offer and ... he took significantly longer. According to his own statement, he would not do it again, because even selecting the craftsmen and checking the offers took him a lot of time.

Kind regards